No viral videos. No interviews. No recycled breaking news. No TV recaps. No ass-kissing. No bias. No mercy.Just honest, unfiltered, long-form reviews written by professional, knowledgeable comedy critics.

Cenac is never less than engaging for a little over an hour’s worth of material. He may make fun of the “small batch,” artisanal culture that’s spreading through Brooklyn, but he’s created a special that is very much in the spirit of what that purports to be: intimate and handmade.

He has always touted himself as the smartest guy in the room, pointing out the things no one else could see or had the guts to point out. But the ideas now aren’t very deep, and sometimes they are downright hostile to the idea of enlightenment.

Even in its infancy, High Plains’ booking and organization already feels tighter than some similarly alt-friendly, comic-run events, living up to its name by balancing giddy crowds with half-lidded stoner grins.

Figuring out what makes Hamburger so magnetic is part of the masochistic fun. Is it his carnie inflection? His abusive, unpredictable rage and profanity? His spot-on critiques of consumer culture that have made him a must-follow on Twitter? Ultimately it’s all in service of the mood he creates.

Comedy writing is the cohesive thread throughout the book, but it can be read and enjoyed by any comedy fan. Sacks sets his history, he’s done his research, and he has pulled some wonderful detail from his subjects.

Mauss’s hour is intended as a themed hour on the animalistic nature of humans. It’s hard not to appreciate the attempt at cohesion and a greater story, but the material doesn’t quite live up to framework.

With long hair and a scraggly beard, his aggressive comedic style is complemented by a distinctive look and an endearingly self-effacing presentation. But on his first album, something is lost in the transition to audio.